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Saturday, January 15, 2011

Following the revelation of Opel’s Agila earlier today, Suzuki released the first pictures of the Splash mini that will debut along with the Agila at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Theoretically, the Suzuki’s new mini which is based on the Swift platform is closely related to last year’s Splash Concept, however, design-wise we see very little in common between the two. Since the Agila is based on the Splash with very few optical differences like the redesigned front-end and rear light-clusters, there’s no difference in dimensions (3.740 mm in length, 1.680 mm in width and 1.590 mm in height). Likewise, the engine range will consist of three engines, two petrol 1.0 & 1.2-liter delivering 65 and 86 Hp respectively and one 1.3-liter common-rail turbodiesel with 75 Hp. The Splash is expected to go on sale in Europe next spring

Press Release & high-res pictures below

World Premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt / Available with three engines with CO2 emissions below 140 g/km

With the Splash, a new fresh and exciting small passenger car, Suzuki Motor Corporation intends to gain a significant market share in this growing market segment in Europe. The new flexible compact car combines the sportiness of Suzuki’s successful model Swift with the technologies and immense know-how of the Japanese world market leader in the mini car segment. The Splash is not the successor of any specific former Suzuki model, but a brand-new concept to satisfy the needs of demanding European customers in terms of roominess, compactness, modern design, aerodynamics, quality, driveability, performance and environmental friendliness. The safety equipment encompasses state-of-the-art features such as six airbags and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP®*). It looks fresh, energetic, juvenile and emotional and thereby underlines the aspiration of its name Splash. Within the global growth strategy of Suzuki, the Splash is already the fourth entirely new model within three years after the launch of Swift, Grand Vitara and SX4 which all embody Suzuki’s unique ‘Way of Life!’-philosophy.

Within this market segment, the car convinces with a relatively tall body (1.6 metres) based on the chassis from the sporty Swift. With its overall length of 3.7 metres and width of 1.7 metres it offers an amply tall and comfortable roomy cabin with sufficient legroom for adults on all seats. Its modern design leads to excellent aerodynamic efficiency and consequently to low carbon-dioxide emissions.

The Splash will make its worldwide debut at the International Motor Show in September in Frankfurt am Main. Sales of the car with its excellent ride comfort will start as of spring 2008. It will be available with two different petrol engines: a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, 12-valve unit with maximum power of 48kW (65hp) and a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valve unit with maximum power of 63kW (86hp). With these engines, low friction and plentiful flat torque delivery at low and mid-range speeds help to ensure good driveability across the rev range while promoting fuel economy and limiting CO2 emissions. Customers preferring a diesel engine can choose a proven 1.3-litre, common rail, 16-valve unit with optional particulate filter and a maximum power of 55kW (75hp). In light of the growing need for environmental compatibility, emissions of all three engines with 5-speed manual gearbox are between only 120g/km and 140g/km. The petrol engines were both newly developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation as next-generation power engines. The diesel engine will be produced at Suzuki’s plant in India under licence from GM Powertrain Europe.

Suzuki aims to sell up to 60,000 units per year of the Splash in Europe. The brand-new model has been developed by Suzuki Motor Corporation and will be produced by its subsidiary company Magyar Suzuki Corporation in Hungary.